


All the Stars in the Galaxy

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Blue Warriors [5]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Children of Characters, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gentle Kissing, Loving Marriage, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Royalty, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, brief mention of zadra/izita
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: On a rare morning where a sun rises over Akiridion-5, Aja and Jim spend time with the small family they've made together.





	All the Stars in the Galaxy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elizabethemerald](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/gifts).

“Good morning, my love,” Aja whispers in Jim’s ear.She strokes his thick, bristly hair away from his face.“It’s time to get up.”

Jim stirs.Without opening his eyes, he smiles.“A couple more minutes?I’m comfortable.”

“I suppose you _could _continue to sleep, but then you’d miss a rare and beautiful Akiridion sunrise.”Aja kisses Jim’s temple.“And enjoying it with your queen.”

Jim opens his eyes.“There will never be a more beautiful sight than the one right in front of me, right now.”

Aja swats at him playfully.“Stop that, you.”

“It was part of our wedding vows to always speak truthfully with each other, wasn’t it?”Jim sits up.He cups Aja’s cheek in his hand.He leans in.He softly kisses her.“That’s all I’m doing,” he murmurs against her lips.

“I don’t remember you being this sappy when we were younger.”Aja laughs.“But then, you were always much too awkward.”

“Uggh.Don’t remind me.”

“If I don’t, will you finally look out the window?It’s not often that Akiridion-5 orbits in such a way that our star appears to ‘rise’ in our sky.”Aja takes Jim in her arms and repositions him so he’s facing their window.“Look.The sunlight is magnificent.”

When she sees Jim’s worried expression at the mention of ‘sunlight’, Aja hastily adds, “Don’t worry, I had all the window panels in the palace replaced with a reinforced glass that will not allow any of the light through.”She traces her fingers over the carved, trollish tattoos Jim had gotten on his chin and cheeks on their last trip to Earth.“You will never be harmed while within these walls.You are safe.”She smirks.“Plus, you are in my arms.There is no place where you could possibly be any safer.”

Jim puts his hands overtop Aja’s.“There really isn’t.”

They observe as silvery light illuminates the sky and casts indigo shadows into the clouds.Their bedroom in the palace is on one of the highest levels.They can see clearly over the tops of the capital city’s buildings.

Aja and Jim watch as the day grows brighter, as light bounces off space-capable ships as they leave the planet’s atmosphere, as Akiridion-5 fully wakes.The planet does not generally sleep, but this is a moment that feels as if it had indeed slept and is still within those first, bleary moments after opening its eyes again.

Aja rests her head on Jim’s shoulder and he rests his atop hers.They don’t get these quiet moments all to themselves much anymore.There’s always something to do as Queen or as Trollhunter.

Or, in more recent years, as Mama or as Papa.

Aja reaches for her data pad.Jim murmurs a protest.

“Shush!I’m just putting in a request for breakfast.”Aja bops Jim on the nose.

In response, Jim offers, “I could make us something myself?”

“You _could_, but then Loth or someone would catch you on your way to the kitchens and call you away to deal with some trivial task and then something else would happen and it would be _hours _until you could come back.”Aja types out her request.“This way the food is brought to us and there is no work yet.Much better.”

“Fine, but tomorrow I get to make you something special.”Jim brushes his nose against Aja’s.He goes in for another kiss.

Aja closes the distance between them, but, before their lips can truly meet, there comes a giggle from beyond their door, quickly followed by a sharp gasp to cover the giggle up.

Jim and Aja share a knowing grin.

Slowly, quietly, they slip out of bed and tiptoe across the room.

“My love, I believe we are being _spied _upon by a pair of most excellent _spies,_” Aja tells Jim in a loud voice when they reach the door.

Jim can barely keep his mirth in.He bites his lower lip, gulps, and speaks, “But who, my queen, would dare spy on the Trollhunter and the Queen of Akiridion-5?”He readies himself to pounce as Aja prepares to open the door.

Aja mouthes a silent countdown, “_3…2…1…_” She throws the door open.Jim swoops down and scoops up a spy under each arm.

“Papa!Papa!Put us down!”Jim’s daughters squirm as he carries them over to the bed and deposits them on it.

“Oh, but you are spies caught snooping on the Akiridion throne,” he teases them.“So, you must be punished accordingly, and there is only one punishment I know of that befits your crimes.Tickling!”

“We’re too cute!”The elder of the Royal Daughters, Andromeda (regularly referred to as ‘Andy’) protests.

Jim changes tactics.“Too cute to face the might Trollhunter in battle, then?”He challenges with a knowing smirk.

Andy tackles Jim to the floor (Aja and Jim had super cushiony carpeting installed a year back—a move that confused most of the Akiridion staff, but made for a better play fight area in the long run).

“Never!I am fearless and strong!There is no foe in the universe that can beat me!”

“We’ll see about that!”Jim laughs.He lets Andy clamber all over him.He never uses his full strength with her, but she’s getting better at picking up on when he isn’t trying, so he makes an effort.

There are times, though, when Jim worries about his eldest daughter’s leanings toward fighting.If it will lead her to becoming a warrior when she’s older.Andy has too much energy to not give her outlets like this.Jim does enjoy these wrestling bouts.Yet he hates thinking of Andy going into a real battle.She’s so young, and happy.He never wants her to lose that.

He makes eye contact with Aja over Andy’s head for the briefest of moments.They’ve discussed Andy’s future at length and agreed it would be best to let her forge it herself.However, they will also do everything in their power to ensure she grows up and lives during a time of peace, where true battles aren’t necessary.

Aja settles on the bed to watch Jim and Andy wrestle.It takes less than a minute for her second daughter, Lela (after their first offspring completely disliked her long name and regularly made her opinion on it known, they’d opted for something a bit shorter the second time round), to climb over and crawl in her lap.Unlike Andy, who seldom stops being a constantly in-motion ball of energy, Lela is calmer, quieter, and shy. 

Aja wraps her arms around Lela.Lela leans into her embrace.Aja can’t help but softly smile.Whereas she easily bonds with Andy, Aja always has a harder time with Lela. 

Lela inherited more trollish traits than Akiridion ones.She doesn’t look exactly like Jim, but they are noticeably the only two distinctly trollish people on the planet.That means, when Lela is upset or needs something, she tends to go to her father first.She opens up to him easily.It generally takes her longer to come to Aja.

Aja wonders, in dark moments, if Lela and her truly belong together. 

Aja loves Lela so, so much, but she also feels distant from her more trollish offspring.Would Lela be happier on Earth?With a Heartstone and among trollish children?Is it selfish for Aja to want to keep her on Akiridion-5, where, as she grows older, Lela will eventually learn she doesn’t have the acceptance her older sister does?

Except then Lela will come to Aja for affection, sit in her lap, or snuggle against her, and Aja will realize they do belong together.It doesn’t matter that they are so different, they are still _family_.She and Jim talked about their children’s mixed heritage and what it would mean long before either of them were born.They decided they’d face whatever challenges would come _together_.Lela is Aja’s child, and she loves her very much.Aja may struggle to communicate with Lela at times, but they’d always manage to work things out._That’s _what matters.

Aja knows Jim believes that, so she will too.

“My royals, I have escorted your breakfast myself to ensure there are no errors this time.You will be relieved to know, I report that—”

“Auntie Zadra!”Lela jumps out of her mother’s lap.She scrambles to the end of the bed, shimmies her way off it, and toddles over to the commander.She stops just before reaching Zadra, regards her red boots, and then looks up at her face.

“Good morning, my brave one.I trust you are not giving your parents too much trouble.”Zadra reaches down and lifts Lela up into her arms.

Lela wraps herself tightly around Zadra like a koala. “Nuh-uh.”She sticks most of her fingers in her mouth.

“I’m glad to hear it.”Zadra strokes her fingers through Lela’s hair, getting the tangles out as she goes.

Zadra is not a soft person, but she makes a sole exception for Lela.

Soon after Lela’s birth, when news of a less-Akiridion appearing child being born to the royal family and a _sickly _one at that spread, there’d been a kidnapping attempt.Some old-fashioned, crown loyalists had believed it to be their _duty _to remove the disgraceful offspring tarnishing the Royal Image.They could get over the Queen marrying a ‘lesser’ being from the backwater planet, Urrrth, as some sacrifices had to be made in the name of diplomacy and politics, but she already got her heir out of him.And it was a nice, four-armed heir with an Akiridion core too (alright the horns, tusks, and pointy ears were a bit of an annoyance, but cosmetic enhancements had been around for years).They hadn’t intended on harming the second, _unnecessary_ child, just relocating her to a much more _befitting _home situation.

Zadra had led the rescue mission and stopped them before they got Lela off-planet.She personally escorted Jim and Aja’s second daughter back to them and, since then, had been rather protective.Subsequently, when Lela got big enough to start forming her own opinions, she quickly took a liking to Zadra.

“Right, yes.”Zadra put Lela down again.“I will be taking my leave and allow you to eat your breakfast.”

“Nooo,” Lela whines.“Eat breakfast with us.Pleeeease, Auntie Zadra?”

“This is an occasion, my brave one, to be shared with your family.”Zadra gestures to where Jim and Andy have stopped tussling to watch them.

“You are a part of our family too, Zadra.Don’t you realize that by now?”Aja walks over to them.“Stay.There is plenty of food.”

“But, my royal, it is against protocol—“

“How long have you known me, Zadra?”Aja interrupts her.“When have I ever followed protocol?”

“Fair point.Then, if I may make a request?”

Aja nods.

“If I am to stay, I would like to invite Izita and Davaros to our breakfast.I intended to spend time this morning with them and I—”

“Of course!”Aja cuts Zadra off again.“It will be a family meal!”She claps her hands together.“Like on Earth!”

“Maybe we could take it into the other room, though?”Jim speaks.“We have an entire suite of them and I don’t think anyone would like to eat in our bedroom.”

Now that breakfast has become something of an event, it takes some time to put together.Zadra leaves to retrieve her wife and adoptive child.Aja and Jim go through their morning routine one at a time.While one washes up, the other entertains their daughters.Then, Aja goes to help the girls get dressed for the day while Jim examines their breakfast.

In his time on Akiridion-5, Jim has spent significant effort studying the local food.In the beginning, it was because of his own interest in cooking.After he and Aja found out about their first pregnancy, he’d focused more on blending Akiridion and trollish cuisine.Since their child would have a dual heritage, he’d wanted to make sure they’d get all the nutrients that they needed.

Jim feels a pair of little arms wrap themselves around his legs.He hears a soft cough.He bends down and picks up his second daughter.

Lela smiles at him.Her eyes, human in shape, but the bright cyan of an Akiridion, regard him calmly.

Lela doesn’t talk much.She expresses herself more through hugging.She hugs her family, and those she’s close to, like Zadra.She hides behind her parents’ legs from those she’s scared of or unsure of.

Jim takes a shard of Heartstone supplement off the breakfast tray and offers it to Lela.She takes it and begins sucking on it.

It’s not real Heartstone.The one they’re growing back on Earth isn’t strong enough for them to safely break off pieces yet.But, since Jim and his daughters still the energy radiation from a Heartstone, Krel devised a method of growing a synthetic version of the crystal.It’s not nearly as powerful as the real deal, but it gives them what they need to live.

Meanwhile Aja chases Andy around the girl’s bedroom.Andy shrieks with laughter.She jumps on her bed and then sticks out her tongue at her mother.

“Can’t catch me!”

“Don’t be so sure about that!”Aja lunges, but only swipes at empty air where Andy has just been.She groans.She loves her daughter.She does.She just wishes Andy hadn’t inherited quite so much from her.

Aja takes a breath.“We will be late for breakfast if you do not stop running, Andromeda.”

“But we’re the _royals._”Andy bounces on the bed.“We can’t be late cause everything revolves around us.”

“That’s not how royalty works.”Aja sits on the edge of the bed.“We have a responsibility to our people and, right now, you and I have a responsibility to your father, your sister, and your Auntie Zadra to be on time for breakfast.”

Andy flops down beside her mother.“That’s no fun,” she mumbles.“I don’t wanna do what people tell me.I wanna do whatever I want forever.”

“That’s not how things work.”Aja pulls Andy into her lap.“You will be expected to do things all your life, both as a royal and as yourself.When you’re older, you’ll get to choose more of them, but, for now, you listen to your Mama.”She bops Andy on the nose.“And come to breakfast.”

“Okay.”Andy smiles.“Can I ride on your shoulders?”

Aja gives her eldest daughter a piggyback ride.

During breakfast, Andy and Lela look at their parents expectantly.“Tell us stories?” they ask.“About your adventures before we were born.”

Aja and Jim hold a brief, nonverbal conversation through facial expressions.Aja reaches for her data pad.“I’ll clear the day’s schedule.”

Jim begins, “Once, a long, long time ago, I was going to a place called ‘school’ with your Uncle Toby when I found a mysterious, glowing amulet…”


End file.
